The Five Valleys (Part 3, Rhyd Ddu to Porthmadog)

It would be tedious to relate the history of the various attempts to build a railway to Beddgelert. There were so many, over the years, that you might be led to think there was a gold mine there, or at least a coal mine. In truth it was never more than a small village, albeit one very attractive to tourists and set in quite stunning scenery.

It was not until 1923 that the newly formed Welsh Highland Railway managed to reach this Welsh version of El Dorado. By then it was really too late. Motor transport had taken off and, for local passengers at least buses were much more convenient. They were also more reliable, on the whole. The original WHR was noted for its late running and frequent cancellations. They only had three engines of their own, all rather feeble, especially if you take into account the nature of the line, with its steep gradients.

Though a certain amount of residual slate and general goods traffic remained, the railway had to rely mainly on tourists. Sadly, in those days the tourist season was very short. Passenger traffic (high summer only) struggled on until 1936, with complete closure in 1937. Only a prodigious effort, aided by EU and Lottery funding, enabled the eventual reconstruction. It's good to note that the new WHR (Rheilffordd Eyri) is much more successful and provides some valuable local employment. Not all staff are volunteers!

From  Rhyd Ddu the train runs in a rare straight line alongside the road, until at Pitts Head it diverges to the right and reaches the summit. From here there are many twists and turns through Beddgelert Forest, and quite often it's hard to work out what direction one is facing. Indeed at one place the line crosses the same road twice, first from one direction and then the other. At last an impressive cutting through rock heralds the entry to Beddgelert station.

Beddgelert is a pleasant little village if you like that sort of thing - there are several businesses that cater for the tourist, and if you don't want to do the full journey it's as good a place as any to get off and walk around. You will certainly find somewhere to eat and drink and there are some very agreeable walks that can be done in everyday clothes, as well as some more challenging ones for those with boots, map and compass.

The train passed through a tunnel beneath the Royal Goat Hotel and descends to the river, which is crossed by an impressive bridge. You are now in the Aberglaslyn Pass, one of the scenic highlights of the trip. I cannot praise the Aberglaslyn Pass too highly - I urge you to go and see it for yourself. The only fault is the passage through it is all too short. You pass through tunnels and then the halt at Nantmor, from whence a very attractive walk back to Beddgelert is possible and recommended. The halt here was not introduced until 2007, following a vote in its favour by local residents.

After Nantmor the valley gradually opens out, with some fine views of the mountains and, later, of the Glaslyn estuary. After crossing another impressive bridge, Pont Croesor station is reached. Rare ospreys nest nearby, and you can get off and observe them from a hide at the appropriate time of year. It is good to note that the ospreys are not at all put off by the presence of steam trains.

It is now a relatively short distance to Porthmadog. On the right are seen some of the sidings of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, a separate organisation that owns many of the original coaches and even one of the original engines. Worth a look if you are interested and have time.

After this the train crosses the main line (former Cambrian) railway on the level. The signalling arrangements that permit this are too complex to describe here, but they are entirely safe. Then the train came to a halt. The road crossing to allow us into Porthmadog had to be cleared.

Road crossing is a simplification. The train actually runs in the road for a short distance, and indeed crosses the river by the same bridge. The situation is, I think, unique in the UK. We have quite a few tramways, but I can't think of another passenger-carrying steam railway that runs in the road.

The Welsh Highland section of the journey was safely over, and I alighted at the heavily rebuilt Porthmadog Harbour station, the junction with the Ffestiniog.

(Anyone interested in the detail of how the WHR was rebuilt should try to get hold of a copy of Welsh Highland Renaissance by Gordon Rushton. An expensive tome, but full of information and anecdotes.)

The Five Valleys (Part 2, Caernarfon to Rhyd Ddu)

Caernarfon Welsh Highland Railway station is rather basic. There are plans for something grander, but it may be some way off. However, it is staffed - more than can be said for many mainline stations these days - and you can walk up and buy a ticket. I was in plenty of time for the train, but then I needed to be. On my day of travel it was the only one running with a through connection.

It is not the cheapest ride. The full return trip to Porthmadog is roughly comparable to a cheapish ticket for a Premier League Match. However, several shorter but still interesting trips are possible and if you have children, they go free on a one-per-adult basis. On the other hand, if you are making your first or only trip it's well worth investing in the extra and going first class, as those coaches are rather special. I booked a third class through ticket to Blaenau Ffestininog.

Even third class (no second class) is reasonably comfortable, and someone comes round with a food and drink trolley. The engines are Beyer-Garratts, very large for a narrow gauge railway and very powerful. They were, like me, created in Gorton, Manchester. Unlike me they spent their youth in South Africa before being brought to Wales. To add to the international dimension, the coach I chose to ride in came from Romania. (Most are made in Wales, in the company's own works in Porthmadog.)

The first part of the journey is over what was once part of the standard gauge line from Caernarfon to Afon Wen, and it is a little odd to think that as a boy I travelled over it several times in its original form. These first few miles are pleasant enough but nothing special scenically. Eventually you arrive at Dinas. This used to be the junction for the North Wales Narrow Gauge (as the Welsh Highland was up until 1922) and the break of gauge and necessary change of trains was one reason why local traffic declined pretty quickly once buses became available. Dinas is where the engine shed and carriage shed are located and is a great, sprawling sort of station.

The train now turns sharply left and starts to climb, a climb that continues all the way to the summit at Pitt's Head.This is Welsh farming country, with plenty of cattle and sheep to be seen, though the fields look, well - rather unpromising for agriculture. Some of the railway fences hereabouts are still made from local slate, and if you look to the rear there are some fine views of Anglesey.

After Tryfan Junction the train enters more wooded country and runs along the side of a valley to Waenfawr. If you only want a short trip, this is a good place to get off as there is an excellent pub next to the station that serves good food. There's also a camp site if you've brought your own tent.

Beyond Waenfawr the train really starts to head into the mountains, and the track twists and turns as it seeks to follow the contours. (This was a railway built on the cheap.) There are some very impressive views, especially around Llyn Cwellyn. However, on this particular day the clouds were relatively low and it wasn't possible to see the tops of the biggest mountains.

At last we wriggled into Rhyd Ddu. This was as far as the original North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways ever got. Victorian and Edwardian tourists (intrepid souls!) had the choice between catching a horse bus to Beddgelert or walking up to Snowdon summit. For many years this was the nearest station to that summit which is only (only!) three or four miles away as the crow flies. Human crows should note that there are many painful feet of ascent in those three or four miles, and if they are using the railway they need to go on a day when the full summer service is in place to allow adequate time. Needless to say, they should also wear good boots and go fully equipped for the mountains. (I add this just in case someone thinks it's an easy stroll.)

For many years Rhyd Ddu station was actually known as 'Snowdon' or 'South Snowdon', at least partly because English passengers found Rhyd Ddu difficult to pronounce. However, that is rather like calling Base Camp 'Everest'. There is a small village here, and indeed a pub, about a quarter of a mile back down the road, but the station itself is gloriously isolated. On a bright summer day it's a beautiful place to spend an hour or so. On a wet or cold day, less so. You have to admire the optimism of the people who thought that building a railway to this place would be profitable. But I am very glad they did.